duryea



4 SheetsSheet 1.

J. F. DURYEA.

(No Model GAS ENGINE.

Patented June 14,1898.

(No Model.) 4 sheets sheet 2.

J. P; DURYEA.'

GAS ENGINE.

No. 605,815. Patented June 14,1898.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented June 14,1898.-

(No Model) 4 SheetsSheet J.- F. DURYEA.

GAS ENGINE. aLtenmd June 14,1898 F Q97 I 1153 a Z i,

Rs cm FHOTO-UTHQ WASHINGI'UN, a. c.

ra ga V UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES FRANK DURYEA, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THEDURYEA MOTOR WAGON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters rater No. 605,815, dated June 14.,1898. Application filed June 14, 1897. Serial No. 640 1697. (N0 odem Toaldwlwm iii-may concern:

, Be it known that I, JAMES FRANK DUnYnA, a citizen of the UnitedStat-esof America, residing at Springfield, in the countyof I-Iamp den andState of Massachusetts,have invented new and useful Improvements inHydrocarbon or Gas Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hydrocarbon or other gasengines, and has for its objects the construction of an engine in whichthe supply of liquid hydrocarbon from the supply-tank to the atomizingdevices can be automatically regulated and the; relative proportions ofsaid atomized hydrocarbon and air be easily and quickly adjusted, and tovolatilize by heat the atomized liquid hydrocarbon before it passes intothe cylinders of the engine, and also to improve the construction of theelectric igniters for exploding the charge of gas in the cylinders andmeans for regulating the time of such ignition; and the inventionconsists in the construction of the engine, all as fully described inthe following specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of an engine constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 isa plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line 3 3, Fig. 2,showing the cam-shaft by which the exhaust-valves are operated. Fig. 4is an enlarged sectional View on line 4 4, Fig. 2, of the mechanism forcontrolling the supply of the hydrocarbon fed to the atomizer andadjustment of the delivery of atomized hydrocarbon to the cylinders andmeans for regulating the supply of air to be united with saidhydrocarbon and for regulating the quantity of said mixture admitted tosaid cylinders. Fig. 5 isan enlarged sectional View of a part of Fig 4,taken on line 5 5, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6, Fig. 4. Fig.7 is a sectional view of the explosionchamber and the intake and exhaustports of one of thecylinders. Fig.7 is a section on line 7 7* of Fig; 7.Fig. Y -is a section on line? 7 of Fig. 7. Fig. 8 is a perspective Pview of a part of the igniter device, showing means formak-ing andbreaking the circuit and for regulating the time of such making andbreaking relative to the position of the piston in the cylinder.

The engine herein'described is of that class having two cylinders, theinnerends of which are open and each of which receives an impulse onlyon every other stroke, the dead stroke being utilized to expel theburned gases from the cylinders and to draw in and compress a freshcharge of aerated hydrocarbon gas.

Referring to the drawings, A is the base of the engine; B B, theoppositely-located cylinders, Whose piston-rods are connected to acommon crank-shaft C, on which is secured a balance-Wheel C. A suitablecasing B incloses the crankshaft and piston-rods, as is customary inmany engines of this class. Hollow bosses b b are cast on the tops ofeach of the cylinders near the outer end thereof, in which bosses theexplosion-chamberD is located. The'supp'ly-pipe 2 and-the exhaustpipe 3are connected with said bosses, the ends of said pipes entering thecastings 2 and 3, which are screwed into said hollow bosses oppositeeach other. The supply-valve 4 and the exhaust-valve 5 fit the innerends of said supply and exhaust connections,respectively, and the valve6 fits the port leading into the said explosion-chamber D. One end of arod 7 is supported in said boss I), by means of which rod, operated by asuitable cam,,the valve 6 is operated to open and close the port of theexplosion-chamber at the proper time and which rod also operates to openthe exhaust-valve 5.

The'valve 4 of the supply-pipe is opened by the suction of the piston onits dead stroke when it is drawing a supply of aerated hydrocarbon gasinto the cylinder and closes auto- 'matically by means of the spring 4on its with a spring 5, which closes the exhaustvalve at the propertiine-viz. just before the movement of the piston takes placeby which afresh charge is drawn into the cylinder. The operation of the rod 7 andvalve 6 thereon relative to the exhaust and intake valves will bedescribed farther on.

The exhaust-pipes 3 and the intake or supply pipes connected to thehollow boss Z), as above described,-lead downwardly from opposite sidesof both cylinders and are connected to an exhaust and expansion chamber,(represented by E, Figs. 1 and 2.) This chamber is made, preferably, ofcast-iron and is divided by a longitudinal partition into two separatechambers S and 9, the former being in connection with the exhaust-pipesof one of the cylinders and the latter, 9, being in connection at oneend with the supply-pipes 2 of both cylinders, the other end of thechamber being connected to the atomizer.

It will be observed that as the chamber E is located to one side of thebase A it is necessary on one end of the engine to take the exhaust-pipethrough said base and at the other end to take the supplypipetherethrough. From the above it will be seen that all of the hot burnedgases pass through the exhaust-ports of one of the cylinders and areconducted to and through the chamber 8, and the supply of aeratedhydrocarbon gas for both of said cylinders is conducted to and throughthe chamber 9, located above the chamber 8 and having heat imparted toit by the exhaust passing through the latter. This atomized gas, thussubjected to a high temperature, is expanded in said chamber 9, and thefinely-atomized particles of hydrocarbon become volatilized and the gasbecomes a fixed gas and remains fixed as long as the temperaturenecessary to the complete volatilization of the hydrocarbon ismaintained. This treatment insures such perfect combustion of said gasthat practically no odor results from said combustion.

The means for supplying the liquid hydrocarbon to the atomizer andregulating said supply and the proper quanty of air to be mixedtherewith are constructed and arranged as follows: A supply of suitableliquid hydrocarbon is provided and connection is made therewith througha pipe 10. (Shown in Figs. 1, 2, andatand indicated in dotted lines inFig. 5.) Said pipe 10 leads from said supply to a small reservoir R, inwhich are a float 12 and a valve 13, operated thereby for opening andclosing an inlet 1 1, through which liquid hydrocarbon is supplied tosaid reservoir by the pipe 10 from said supply-tank, which is locatedabove said reservoir R. The object of the float and its valve is tomaintain as nearly as possible the same level of liquid hydrocarbon inthe reservoir. The said float 12 is made to fit rather freely theinterior diameter of the reservoir R and is connected to said valve by aspring-arm 15, having a swinging movement in a vertical plane on itspivot-pin 15, to the end that any jolting or other movement that theengine may be subjected to, if applied to a motor wagon or launch, willpermit a slight movement of the float without any corresponding openingand closing of the Valve 13, the float being designed to deflect thespring-arm 15 to some extent in closing said valve, so that with anormal level of liquid in the reservoir said spring-arm will be alwaysunder a certain tension. Connection from said reservoir R to theexpansion-chamber 9 is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, and consists inthe passage 16, contracted as at 17, the upper end of said contractedpart being controlled by a valve-rod 18, as shown, having a screwconnection with the upper end of said passage 16 and whose upper endextends up to a point within convenient reach of the operator. Byturning said valve-rod the contracted portion 17 of the passage 16 maybe closed entirely or opened as much as desired. Above said contractedportion 17 and upwardly inclined relative thereto the atomizer tube 19is inserted and communicates with said passage, and said tube iscentrally located in a neck 20, east on the side of said reservoir. Atright angles to said neck and close to the wall of the reservoir R anopening R is provided, through which air is drawn for mixing with theatomized liquid hydrocarbon as it emerges from the atomizer-tube 19.

The passage through the neck 20 is restricted by the plate 21, having acircular opening 22 therein concentric with said atomizer-tube and intowhich the latter projects a short distance. This plate 21 has ahub 23thereon, over which the plate 21 fits loosely. This plate 24 is fixed inthe neck 20 by means of screws, as shown, or otherwise. Both of theseplates 21 and 24: fit the interior diameter of the neck 20 closely andhave opposite portions 25 thereof cut away, as shown in Fig. 6. Theplate 24 being fixed and the plate 21 being rotatable in said neck 20,it follows that by turning or rotating'the plate 21 the cut-awayportions 25 may be made to register, whereby a passage through both ofthe said plates is provided equal in area to the said cut-away portions.By rotating said plate 21 on its axis said opening may be restrictedmore or less, as may be desired, and the amount of air, in addition tothat which passes through the central opening 22, may thus becontrolled. The rotation of the plate 21 is effected by means of a pin26 passing through the wall of the neck 20 in a suitable slot andengaging with a hole in the edge of said plate. A ring or band of metal27 is applied to the neck 20 over the slot therein to prevent theentrance of air through said slot should the plate 21 be turned farenough around to permit it. A suitable passage 28 between the end ofsaid neck 20 and the end of the chamber 9 is provided, (see Fig. 4,) andin that passage is a vertically-located valve 29, having a spring 30 onthe stem thereof to hold it to its seat and close said passage, which isthe normal position of the valve when the engine is at rest. Said valve29 is operated by the operator by means of a suitably-pivoted lever 31,which engages with the stem thereof, as shown in Fig. 4 at 32, and alsoindicated in Figs.,1 and 2. A rod .33 engages with the free end of saidlever 31, which rod is so located-as to be within con- Venient reach ofthe operator. A series of notches 34 (see Fig. 1) on'the said rod, nearthe upper end thereof, serve to hold it at any desired degree ofelevation and to thereby indicate to the operator the extent to whichthe valve 29 may be open. This valve is opened more or less, accordingto the amount of aerated hydrocarbon it is desired to draw through thechamber 9 and into the cylinder of the engine.

The means employed-for operating the rods 7 for opening theexhaust-valves and for operating the valve 6 for opening and closing theport leading into the explosion-chamber con sist in a shaft H, parallelwith the crank-shaft O and supported in proper bearings above it. (SeeFigs. 1, 2, and 3.) Said shaft H is revolved once to two revolutions ofthe crankshaft O by suitable gear connections with the latter, saidgearsbeing indicated by M M. On said shaft H is a cam 35 of such contour aswill move the valve 6 to the two positions shown in dotted lines in Fig.7 for the purpose to be described farther on. I In Fig. 8 isillustrated, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the gear-wheel Mand theplate m, of some good non-conductor of electricity, having securedcentrally thereon a stud n, which has a bearing in a suitablesupportingframe' L, secured to the casing of the engine, said studbeing'in line axially with the shaft H and the said plate in proximityto and in a plane parallel with the gear M. provided in the outer end ofsaid stud 01, whereby the plate m can be rotated by hand more or less inits bearing in the frame L. On diagonally opposite corners of said platem two spring-fingers 37 and 38 are secured,whose free ends are locatedsubstantially opposite each other on a line running centrally acrosssaid plate. Each of said fingers 37 and 38 is at its point of attachmentconnected by a wire 39 and 39 to one end of the secondary circuit ofinduction-coils 40 and 41, as shown in Fig. 2. The free ends of saidfingers each have a lip 37 and 38 formed thereon, projeeting outwardlytherefrom toward the gear M. Opposite the said free ends of saidspringfingers are two screws 42 and 43, passing through said plate m,whose inner ends lie just back of the endsof said fingers, but not incontact therewith. Wire connections 44 44 lead from said screws to onepole of a battery 45 or other suitable source of electricity. From theopposite pole of said battery two wires 46 lead to one end'of theprimary circuit of the induction-coils 40 41. From the opposite ends ofsaid'primary circuits of said coils wires 47 lead toany convenientpoint, as 47, on the frame of the engine, and from the ends of thesecondary circuits of-said coils, opposite to the ends to which thewires 39 39 Abar 36 is are attached, wires 48 lead to the bindingposts49 49 of the igniter-posts 50 50 located in the wall of theexplosion-chambers D and projecting therethrough into said chambers.Said igniter-posts 50 50 are of porcelain, preferably, (or othersuitable material,) and a wire of some resistant metal, such asplatinum, is molded therein and connected to said binderposts 49 49 andhaving a point 51 projecting from the end of the post in theexplosionchamber D. Said post 50 is securely held in a metal plug52,which screws into the wall of the explosion-chamber D, a set-nut 53holding said post firmly in said plug. A wire 54, also preferably ofplatinum, is inserted in said plug 52 in proximity to' the inner end ofthe igniter-post 50. Said two platinum wires 51 and 54 have their pointsbent toward each other and terminate in close proximity to each other,as shown in Fig. 7.

On the side of the gearM is secured the insulated notched metal block55. This block is so located that during'the revolution of the gear Mthe edges of the notches thereon will have a light contact with the lip37 of the finger 37 and the lip 38 of the finger 3S. Said contact willforce the spring finger back" against the end of the screws 42 and 43alternately. This contact establishes an electric circuit which includesthe battery 45 and one of the induction-coils 40 or 41, which circuit isbroken only at the point of separation between the two wires 51 and 54in the explosion-chamber. The passing of the block 55 across the end ofthe spring-finger breaks this electric current as many times as thereare notches in said block, thereby producing an intermittent sparkingbetween the two wires 51 and 54 in the explosion-chamber, the currentbeing of sufficient intensity to bridge the space between the points ofthe said wires.

The operation of the exhaust devices is'as follows: When the piston hasbeen propelled forward .by the explosion of a charge in the cylinder andhas reached the limit of its movement therein, the cam 35 on the shaft Hmoves the rod 7 to open the valve 6 to its fullest extent, as indicatedby the dotted position thereof at cl, Fig. 7. The movement of said rod 7causes the beveled shoulder d thereon to engage with the end of the stemof the exhaustvalve 5 and raise the latter from its seat. The valves 6and 5 remain in these positions during the movement of the piston backto-' ward the explosion chamber again, which movement expels all of theburned gases in the cylinder. At the end of this backward movement ofthe piston the cam 35 on the shaft H arrives at the position shown inFig. 3, the spring f serving to retract said rod 7 and to always keepthe end of said rod, which is provided with a suitable roll, againsttheedge of said cam. When the cam 35 is in the position shown in Fig. 3,the valve 6 is in the dotted position shown in Fig. 7, (indicated by 01and the rod 7 has been retracted by its spring far enough to allow thespring 5 to close the valve 5, and at the moment of closing of thelatter the piston, carried by the balance -wheel, moves again toward theopposite end of the cylinder and, acting as a pump, draws a charge ofaerated hydrocarbon into the cylinder from the reservoir R and throughthe heating-chamber 9. At the moment the piston has finished its strokeabove described the explosion takes place in the opposite cylinder,driving back the first-named piston and compressing its charge of gas,which in turn is ignited at the proper time. The valve 6 is closed bythe further retraction of rod 7 just before the piston begins itsmovement for compressing the charge of gas in its cylinder, and as soonas the valve 4 is relieved from the suction of the piston on its pumpingstroke said valve is closed by its spring t.

Assuming now that the position of the block 55 on the gear M relative tothe lip 37 on the spring-finger 37 represents the point of contact whenthe piston of the engine has reached the end of its stroke, if it isdesired to cause the charge of hydrocarbon gas to explode before thepiston reaches that pointor after it has passed it, then the plate m isturned either to the left or to the right until the point of contactbetween said block and said fingers causes the ignition of the charge totake place at the point desired.

The construction herein shown and described obviates the necessity ofany means within the cylinders for making or breaking a circuit, which,owing to the very high temperature under which they operate, and arevery unsatisfactory and great difiiculty has been experienced insecuring unfailing ignition.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is-

1. In a hydrocarbon-engine, means for supplying volatilized hydrocarbonto said engine consisting of asupply-tank, a reservoir placed below thelevel of the bottom of said tank, a pipe connection from said tank tosaid reservoir, a float-actuated valve for automatically maintaining aquantity of liquid hydrocarbon in said reservoir, a pipe connection fromsaid reservoir to the cylinders of said engine, an atomizer-tube in saidpipe, communicating with the interior of said reservoir, an opening insaid pipe for the admission of air, and means for regulating thequantity of air so admitted, a valve in said pipe for regulating thequantity of atomized hydrocarbon and air to be drawn into the saidcylinders, and a heating-chamber in said pipe connection for heatingsaid atomized hydrocarbon between said reservoir and said cylinders,substantially as described.

2. In a hydrocarbon-engine in combination, a supply-tank for liquidhydrocarbon, an intermediate reservoir between said tank and saidengine, located on a lower level than said tank, suitable pipeconnections between said engine, reservoir, and tank, means in saidreservoir for regulating the quantity of hydrocarbon which can be drawntherefrom by one stroke of the piston of said engine, and means forautomatically controlling the quantity of hydrocarbon in said reservoir,consisting of a float therein, an inlet-port communicatin g with saidtank,a suitably-pivoted valve having a seat in said port, and aspring-arm attached thereto by one end and whose opposite end has a freeengagement with said float, substantially as described.

3. In a hydrocarbon-engine,mcans for operating the exhaust-valvesconsisting of the rod '7 having a suitable endwise movement,a valve 6thereon, a beveled shoulder d, on said rod 7, the valve 5, closing theexhaust-port, the stem of which valve is engagedbysaid beveled shoulderfor opening the valve, and a suitable spring 5 on said valve-stemagainst which said opening movement takes place,combined with a suitablecam-operated rod 7, for opening said valve 6, and permitting said valve5 to close before the closing of said first-named valve, substantiallyas described.

4. In a hydrocarbon-engine,means for atomizing liquid hydrocarbon andregulating the quantity of air to be mixed therewith, consisting of anatomizer-tube connected with a suitable reservoir containing a supply ofhydrocarbon, a neck on said reservoir inclosing said tube, a plate 21axially rotatable in said neck, a plate 24E fixed in said neck, and incontact with said plate 21, as shown, air-passages 25, in said plates, acentral air-passage 22 through said plate 21, an opening B, through theside wall of said neck, and a pipe connection from said neck to thecylinder of said engine, substantially as described.

5. In a hydrocarbon-engine,means for atomizing liquid hydrocarbon andregulating the quantity of air to be mixed therewith, consisting of anatomizer-tube connected with a suitable reservoir containing a supply ofhydrocarbon, a neck on said reservoir inclosing said tube, a plate 21axially rotatable in said neck, a plate 24 fixed in said neck, and incontact with said plate 21, as shown, air-passages 25 in said plates, acentral air-passage 22, through said plate 21, an opening R, through theside wall of said neck, and a pipe connection from said neck to thecylinder of said engine, a valve 29, and a heating-chamber in said pipeconnection between said atomizer and the cylinder of said engine,substantially as described.

6. A gasolene or other hydrocarbon engine consisting of a pl urality ofcylinders connected to a common crank-shaft, a gasolene-supply tank, oneexhaust-chamber common to said cylinders, pipe connections between thelatter and said chamber, pipe connections between said supply-tank andsaid cylinders, a heating-chamber interposed in said lastnamedconnection I and adjoining said exhaust-ohamber, an atomizer in saidconnections between said heating-chamber and said tank, means forregulating the supply and relative proportions of gasolene and air, afloat-valve for automatically controlling the How of gasolene from thesupply-tank to said.

atomizer, and a closed-circuit electric igniting device in saidcylinders, and means out-

